Political Quotes

On the recordNovember 17, 2021
yesterday, the Secretary of Homeland Security, Mr. Mayorkas, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. It is the first time he has been before the Judiciary Committee for an oversight hearing. Of course, our minds were all on the crisis that is currently underway--and has been since the beginning of this year--at the border. When our colleague Senator Lindsey Graham asked him how he would rate his own performance so far, he gave a bizarre answer. He said: ``I [would] give myself an A for effort.'' Well, that is the type of rating you would give yourself if you offered to cook dinner and completely bungled the recipe, or if you ordered a really thoughtful Christmas gift for your spouse, but it didn't arrive on time, you would give yourself an A for effort. But when you are talking about the person who is responsible for some of our Nation's most critical responsibilities for which there are life-and-death consequences, an A for effort is hardly acceptable, and in this case, it is an overly generous assessment. Over the last year, Customs and Border Protection has encountered more than 1.7 million migrants along the southern border--the highest on record. In 1 month alone, more than 213,000 migrants crossed the border, including 19,000 unaccompanied children. The Secretary may think he is worthy of an A for effort, but the numbers certainly do not reflect that. The American people are clearly concerned about the way things are going.…
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John Cornyn
Republican · Texas

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